Over 20,000 fans broke out into screams of joy, surrounded by colorful lights and high spirits, as Olivia Rodrigo stepped onstage for her two-day “GUTS World Tour” stop at TD Garden on April 1st.
The once-in-a-lifetime performance of Rodrigo’s two record-breaking albums lasted over one and a half hours, including 23 songs that ranged from high punk rock to melancholy ballads. She started the concert off by knocking on a purple door, similarly to how she does in the music video of “bad idea, right?” and burst onto stage. From there, she continued with her pieces, singing her heart out to “ballad of a homeschool girl,” “vampire” and “traitor” before performing piano renditions of “drivers license,” “teenage dream” and “pretty isn’t pretty.”
One of the most iconic moments of the night came when she sat on top of a large, purple crescent moon and drifted slowly above her fans while singing “logical” and “enough for you.” Rodrigo then made a landing to sing “lacy” and “Can’t Catch Me Now” from the latest Hunger Games movie. Another memorable time came when she left the stage to walk through the pit of fans whilst belting “jealousy, jealousy,” making note of engaging with her boisterous crowd.
Rodrigo took fans on a journey of emotions and feelings that left everyone in the stadium stunned by her extraordinary talent. She constantly switches from playing the piano, to playing the electric guitar and even to shouting through a megaphone. All throughout the show, her vocals mimic those of her exact recordings, even as she is jumping up and down the stage, just proving how remarkably gifted and skilled she is.
Rodrigo’s tour is so unique because her dedication to her passion is shown through her outstanding performance and choreography. Her outfits constantly change to keep the visuals entertaining, from a cute, silver, glittery two-piece set with fishnets to a red shimmery bodysuit. The choreography is sensational, matching the vibes of her songs. This can be seen in the dance for “love is embarrassing” which is embarrassing due to the awards flailing of her arms and legs. Her enthusiasm and energy is the only thing that stays the same throughout the show, never failing to keep the fans on their toes.
One thing about Rodrigo is that she loves her fans just as much as they love her, and makes note of including them countless times throughout the concert. Whether that be in her own take on Beyonce’s “mute challenge,” where she pauses in the middle of “bad idea, right?” to give the audience a moment of silence, or telling fans to scream their hearts out, she truly does adore her fans, especially those in Boston. Boston had a special place in her heart, as she said during her discussion with the audience: “What a gorgeous crowd. Oh my god, I can’t believe my eyes.” She then proceeded to compliment her adoring and overly excited fans continuously. After every single show, she always walks through the pit and accepts personal, handmade gifts and trinkets, taking time to acknowledge those who support her, and she did the same in Boston as well. In her final goodbye, she turned to the camera and mouthed, “Thank you for coming! I love you!” and ended the eye-opening experience on a heartfelt note.
There is no one reason why Rodrigo is becoming a household name when talking about the music industry and that is because she is multi-talented. Both of her award-winning albums surround the struggles of teen heartbreak and the emotional insecurities and vulnerability that many teenagers face. She perfectly masters the art of storytelling through music with her relatable, raw and poignant lyrics. Her beautiful, melodious voice switches from soft to angry throughout the GUTS and SOUR albums, illustrating the feelings of adolescence to perfection.
With over 56 million monthly streamers on Spotify and three number-one songs on the Billboard 100, Rodrigo has taken the world by storm and is only going to grow even more. The pop star is set to become one of the most iconic artists of this generation, thanks to her incredible songwriting, creative skills and free-spirited personality. She is only going to climb higher in the music industry and has many of her fans, including myself, wondering how she is going to outdo herself next time.
